Thursday started out with a leisurely stroll along the bakeries and cafes surrounding the Vatican City. With our apartment overlooking the entire 45 acres of buildings, museums, and churches, it was an easy walk to our 12 o'clock tour. By mid-morning the long queue running along the fortified walls wrapped around the entire block. Because we had reservations, we didn't have to wait and were ushered into the main lobby fairly quickly. For the next 3 1/2 hours we toured the entire, unbelievably majestic, beautiful beyond description, breathtaking collection of art anyone could ever imagine. To spend days in these rooms, one would still be left with so much more to see. The ceilings are covered with intricate pieces of beauty telling story after story.
The walls are covered with pieces of art from many famous artists. Among them, of course, Michelangelo and Raphael. My personal favorites were the Raphael Rooms which form a suite of
reception rooms in the public part of the papal apartments. The picture below is called the "School of Athens"
Liberation of St. Peter (below)
The grandiose statues were in every nook and cranny......they were large, small, whole and broken, but they were magnificent. Originally, when Michelangelo was commissioned to paint the Sistine Chapel, he turned the job down, stating he was more of a sculptor than a painter.
After leaving the grand hallways of the Vatican Museum, we ventured into the Sistine Chapel. At first glance it is impossible to believe that Michelangelo spent years laying on his back painting the many stories on the ceiling of this beautiful chapel. Sitting at the side of the chapel and peering upwards, you could see the stories in the old and new testament as told in the paintings. We weren't allowed to take pictures in here, but we did sneak a few.
We ended our day with a stop at one of the many local outdoor pizzerias for an enjoyable pizza and a drink. Great day here in Rome!
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